Boeing has postponed indefinitely the launch of the CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station (ISS) due to identified engine problems. This is stated in a statement by the company.
“Boeing today informed NASA [US National Aeronautics and Space Administration] that the CST-100 Starliner will be detached from the Atlas V launch vehicle and returned to the facility to further address the issue of the four engine valves that and remained closed after the canceled launch on Thursday, ”it was reported.
The company noted that as soon as the valve problems are resolved, Boeing will announce a new launch date.
On August 2, NASA announced that the launch of the CST-100 Starliner should take place on August 3 at 1:20 local time (20:20 Moscow time). On the day of the flight, it became known that the launch was postponed at least a day. NASA cited a technical malfunction of the device as the reason. On August 5, the spacecraft was taken from the launch pad to the vertical assembly shop.
The CST-100 Starliner is a next-generation space capsule. It is capable of accommodating up to four crew members and is designed for scientific research in space orbit. The ship can be used up to ten times with a six-month turnaround time.
Earlier, Roscosmos reported that the completion of the ISS operation by Russia is scheduled for 2028. Based on the results of reviewing the state of the Russian segment of the ISS, the designers concluded that due to the aging of a significant part of the equipment, its operation after 2024 “creates additional risks.” At a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on April 12, Deputy Prime Minister Yuri Borisov announced that Russia would create its own space station and stop using the ISS.
The ISS has been operated since 1998 by 14 countries: Russia, the USA, Japan, Canada and members of the European Space Agency Belgium, Germany, Denmark, Spain, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, France, Switzerland and Sweden.
